


Take It Like a Man

by kravicle



Category: Legally Blonde - All Media Types, Legally Blonde - Hach/O'Keefe/Benjamin
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Study, F/M, first fic for this fandom and tbh first fic in general so! yeah read at ur own caution, fluff?, i dont know how to tag things lmao, very short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-19 20:05:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18977455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kravicle/pseuds/kravicle
Summary: After being suspended from the legal team for the day, Elle decides to fix the situation by doing the one thing she knows best: shopping. Emmett isn't sure he's gonna like that.Emmett's POV





	Take It Like a Man

**Author's Note:**

> basically my take on what the song "Take it Like a Man" from the LB musical would be if it was, y'know, an actual scene and not a song where people rhyme and repeat themselves a million times. some lines are lifted straight up (if you know the song you will definitely spot them) and others are more.. reworked and expanded upon.
> 
> YES i am writing legally blonde fanfiction in the year 2019 and im loving it. thanks to my friends for encouraging me to actually write this, not to mention post it!

"Trust me Emmett, I didn't get to be in the top of my class in fashion merchandising for nothing. A brand new look that better highlights one's best features is a HUGE confidence booster, and it makes people more likely to do as you say! Really, it's science."  
  
"If you say so..." They made their way to the six-story tall building, Emmett hesitantly following miss Elle Woods, her heels clicking on the pavement in a pleasant and constant rhythm. Not a shadow of doubt in _her_ steps, that's for sure.   
  
"What even is this place?" He muttered as he leaned down to talk to her right side, attempting to mask his nervousness with humour.   
  
"It's called... a department store." Well, no durr. He had never been in one, why would you when you can buy in regular stores with sales, or even go thrift shopping, but the guy wasn't dull. The retort however died in his throat as the big double-doors opened.   
  
Perfumes, watches, jewelry and hats stretched as far as the eye could see. The plethora of mirrors hanging against every other wall made the place look even bigger and more cluttered than it already was.   
  
"It's... It's beautiful" was all he managed to say. It really was. It was also a little bit overwhelming. He glanced over at his shopping partner, a wide smile on her face and her eyes glinting.   
  
"Ugh I LOVE the smell of department stores! I already feel like I'm at home. Come on we have so much to see today!!" she grinned at him and headed straight for the elevators, past the perfume department.   
  
Emmett couldn't help but admire Elle Woods. How could someone be so confident, hard-working, brilliant, stylish, and genuinely kind as she was? Not to mention dedicated. Every single task she set her mind to, she gave it her all. Fly across the country and enroll in one of the most competitive careers in one of the most prestigious universities? Just another step in her big plan. From getting that law firm internship to simply shopping Elle knew exactly what she wanted, how she wanted it, and then went out to get it. Emmett's chest tightened with admiration and pride and other feelings he couldn't quite name.   
  
"Love?" Said a female voice next to him, pulling him out of his trance.   
  
"Excuse me?!"   
  
"Love, the new fragrance by Chanel." The salesclerk (who had seemingly materialised out of nowhere) was holding a pink, heart-shaped bottle on her hands with some cursive white lettering on the front, which she proceed to spray in a mist over him.   
  
"Oh. No, thank you." Straightening his well-worn corduroy suit jacket, he resumed his walk behind Elle, who was already waiting cross-armed by the elevators. Emmett could feel the tip of his ears burn in response to that interaction. God how embarrassing. "Love?" As if!   
  
Their elevator ride to the fourth floor was filled with an uncomfortable silence, one that Elle had the initiative to break (of course she did) as they exited into the men's clothing floor.   
  
"Listen... I know you're scared— "   
  
"I'm not scared!"   
  
" —BUT, you have to trust me on this. I know what I'm doing. Think of how Callahan will be impressed by your professional and sharp look! It sounds a little bit superficial, I know, but that's just how life is sometimes Emmett."   
  
He shifted his weight from one leg to the other, unsure of how to respond. He had never been one to pay much mind to what other people thought, and he certainly didn't like being pitied, but he also knew his messy and worn outfit would look out of place in the court floor. The last thing he wanted was to jeopardize their case by having an unkempt co-council on the defense table. Ugh, why did she always have to be right?   
  
"You don't have to say anything! And you can just nod to my suggestions, don't even have to fake some commentary. Just swallow your pride for a bit? For me?" She looked at him with pleading eyes and a pout, like it was the most important decision of their lives instead of just agreeing to a fashion montage. Why was she even doing this, anyway? ...Friendship?? They were just study partners! A strictly tutor-tutored relationship.

Well, maybe that's how it had been at the beginning, but it was foolish to deny they hadn't grown closer since then. Swapping the occasional bi-weekly study session with a B-Rated movie hang out, or going out to the nearest café to unwind and chat for a bit. Okay, well, yes, he guessed they could be considered friends... Good friends, he conceded, remembering their secret handshake that Elle had insisted on implanting. And he was grateful for those interactions, sure! But still, she was a hard nut to crack– Emmett couldn't remember ever doing anything like this for one of his friends. Then again, he had never had a friend like Elle Woods.  
  
"Fine, I'll follow your lead." He rolled his eyes at her, letting his ego and self-consciousness melt away as she took his hand with a delighted squeal and began walking towards the clothing items.

 

* * *

 

A few item-picking-filled minutes later, he was finally ready to go to the cash register.  
  
"Uh, no?" She looked at him like he had grown a second head, like instead of saying "Alright let's go pay" he had said "I eat warm pea purée and wake up at 5 a.m on Saturdays" – "You have to go try it on!"   
  
"Elle, you triple checked my sizes, corroborated them with the store's assistant AND made him check the database to make sure there were no in-between models stocked away. Besides, I trust you. If you say this is good then it's gonna be!"   
  
"I'm flattered by your words, I really am, but don't be a baby about this". Before he could even say anything she held out a finger and gave him a look that read _Don't you dare protest right now_ , which to be fair, he was going to do. "We have to make sure. Also, it's literally the most fun part about shopping, I'm not gonna let you waste this chance."

   
And just like that, Emmett was in the changing rooms. What was he gonna do, anyway? Say no to her? Yeah, right.

"God I love shopping for guys." He could hear her talking to one of the salesclerks while they waited for him to come out. "After a well designed outfit they're almost like... butterflies, changing right before you."

"Hey! Don't watch me change" he half-shouted in response to that, trying to poke fun at her adorable and delusional metaphors.  
  
"Shush and hurry up. You're taking ages in there!"   
  
"It was your idea in the first place, don't yell at me for it!" He replied as he fastened the buckle on his new belt. Alright, pants, shirt, shoes and belt done. T'was going nicely, if he did say so himself.   
  
"I agree miss, it's quite astounding."   
  
"I know right?! And then they strike a pose and look in the mirror and think " _damn I look good_ " because well, they do, but also because I picked their fit, and you can see their confidence bloom like a rose in spring..." Was that seriously a sigh?   
  
"It's just. Clothes." She could be so melodramatic at times, honestly. Emmett was having a bit of trouble with the tie, so he tied it as best as he could and then decided to just go straight for the jacket instead. As he was looking around for the arm-hole he caught a peek of the tag and _oh my god_ \- "Elle is this the price of this thing??" There was no way that was correct. It had to be a serial number or something.   
  
"Don't you worry about that, it's my treat. I'm the one making you go through this process anyway. Now come out already!"  Emmett finally stepped out of the cubicle and joined Elle in front of the giant floor-to-ceiling mirror. 

“Whoa." The soft exclamation left their mouths at the same time. No other words really needed to be said to convey the train of thought that both of them were having. It was just… yeah. Not bad Emmett.

“I look like Warner" he scoffed, his eyebrows tightly knit together as he turned around to see the other angles of his suit. He had to admit, the cool blue-gray was much better than the ratty brown. He would never pull off the “casually well dressed" look as well as Warner could but there was no denying Emmett looked sharper than he ever had before.

“Yeah…” Well he didn't expect that reply. He was just joking after all. Emmett glanced at her through the mirror, and her expression caught him a little off-guard. Of course he had seen Elle’s dopey grin before, in the climax of a cheesy rom-com or most notably when talking _to_ Warner, but it was still a bit confusing to him to see her standing there with a soft smile. I mean, what's she looking at him for?

“But it's just me." It wasn't meant to be a self-deprecating comment, just stating a fact. Emmett knew he was, y'know, an ok guy. Hard-working, empathetic, a bit silly at times. Those were not bad qualities. But he would never be the classically handsome, old-money rich guy with a guaranteed future and hardly any self-doubt, no matter how well he dressed the part.

“That's the best part" Elle started, finally meeting his gaze in the mirror. “The clothes, the hairstyle, all of that might be new and all, but it's really just reflecting what's already inside of you, Emmett. I couldn't change that if I wanted to” she chuckled, but quickly stopped and turned towards him, looking at his eyes with such intensity he wouldn't dare look away “and I do not.”  


Oh.  


“Thank you-"  


“No, thank _you_ . You were one of the only people here that didn't dismiss me as an airhead or a pretty face, and actually encouraged me to get serious. I don't know if I would've discovered how much I actually enjoy law school if it wasn't for you!” In all honesty, she probably still would have, just because of the way Elle was, but Emmett still felt nothing but thankfulness at her words. A slight flush crept to his cheeks, too stunned to say anything. The fact that she trusted him so much despite the short amount of time they had known each other made him incredibly happy.  


“Ok, we definitely have to buy this. It's so sleek, you look hot!” _Uhhhh haha wait what did she say?_  Had he misheard? “Is he not hot?” she said in conspiratorial tone to the salesclerk, who was just silently bemused by their interactions. Whoops, he kind of forgot she was there.

The salesclerk just nodded with a smile and looked away, and Emmett could feel his slight flushing turn into a deep and embarrassing red, his neck, ears and cheekbones threatening to burst into flames.

“Your tie does need a fix-up though, I can’t understand what you did to it.” Elle undid his messy tie and began re-tying it, her well-manicured hands carefully travelling around his neck and under his throat and _oh Dear Lord above_ . Emmett felt his head was in a merry-go round, and he made an effort to focus somewhere else, _anywhere_ else so as to Not have to deal with this. In the mirror, he saw himself and was surprised by how… different he seemed. It wasn’t a “bad” different, just not quite like himself. Definitely not the type of guy he would actively choose to look like. But when she had so much trust in her mission, and was standing so close to him, seemingly unbothered by his change… he thought he could go along with this. He would just have to put his faith in the hands of Elle Woods, and really, how could you not to?

“There we go! Much better. _Now_ we can go and ring this up.” She held the sides of his arms, and beamed at him, obviously content with the work she had done and his cooperation throughout it. They were standing so close, if Emmett leaned down just a bit their foreheads would brush, barely any gap to close if they kissed—

She closed the distance with a hug, and Emmett finally let himself relax for the first time in the whole day.

**Author's Note:**

> THANK U SO MUCH FOR READING! i havent posted any of my writing in literal YEARS so all comments are appreciated, any critique is good!!
> 
> i might make this a series?? other songs as scenes stuff, i have some ideas for chip on my shoulder but idk we'll see lol


End file.
